Colorado coach Deion Sanders is now working as the co-host of a new weekly entertainment talk show that recently debuted as his football team makes a push for the College Football Playoff.
The first of his 20 one-hour episodes aired Tuesday night on Tubi, the online streaming platform owned by the Fox Corporation. The show is called “We Got Time Today,” which raises an obvious question:
How does Sanders have the time to co-host this show during such a critical part of the year for him as the coach of the Buffaloes?
His co-host, Rocsi Diaz, asked him that early in the first episode.
“How does he even have time to do this and coach? … What do you tell them?”
Sanders responded that it’s part of his recruiting strategy – to reach potential recruits and their families in ways that other coaches don’t or can’t.
“Well, this is like a form of recruiting for me, because a lot of the parents are … our viewers with Tubi,” Sanders said. “Tubi does a wonderful job of reaching all ethnicities … They reach everybody. And this is a tremendous platform for me to talk to some of the parents out there.’
When, where is new Deion Sanders show filmed?
Tubi didn’t respond to messages seeking comment about when and where the episodes are recorded, but the company previously said in a news release that the show would air each Tuesday.
The first episode was recorded earlier this week after the Buffaloes beat Utah at home last weekend, 49-24. The episode showed a video clip from that game and referenced the birthday of Diaz, which was Sunday. Diaz attended the game in Boulder Saturday, according to her Instagram. Several workers on the show are listed from the Denver-Boulder area. So it doesn’t appear Sanders is jetting off to Hollywood every Sunday to film this.
The University of Colorado also didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking information about how it fits into the coach’s schedule.
Sanders, 57, does have a reputation as an accomplished multitasker. As head coach of the Buffs, he appears on two other local shows every week during the season to discuss his team, all while filming continues on a documentary series about his program. In 1992, he played in an NFL game at Miami on the same day he flew to Pittsburgh for a baseball game as a player for the Atlanta Braves (though he did not play in the latter).
Sanders and Colorado have two regular-season games remaining but also could play in the Big 12 Conference championship game Dec. 7, followed by playoff or bowl games. They play Kansas (4-6) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City Saturday on Fox. Just like last week’s Colorado game on Fox, the network is expected to promote Sanders’ new Tubi show during the broadcast. Fox agreed to buy Tubi in 2020 for $440 million.
How is show part of Deion Sanders’ recruiting strategy?
Sanders does things differently in recruiting. He hasn’t made off-campus visits to recruits’ homes or high schools, unlike other coaches. He has his reasons for this, including saving the university money and downplaying the importance of off-campus visits in the age of the transfer portal. He also has succeeded with the Buffs (8-2), gunning for a Big 12 championship in his second season on the job. Meanwhile, the start of the early signing period in recruiting is Dec. 4.
With a platform like this, Sanders casts a wider net. Tubi bills itself as the “most watched free TV and movie streaming service in the U.S.’ A news release promoting the show said it would take “viewers on a lively journey through the realms of news, culture, entertainment and sports.”
Peyton Manning offers Deion Sanders advice
The first episode featured hip-hop icon Ice Cube as an in-person guest. It also featured a video appearance by former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning.
“I’m a little jealous,” Manning said to Sanders on the clip. “You’re co-hosting your show with Rocsi Diaz, someone with a ton of experience and talent, while I somehow got roped into doing Monday night with my little brother Eli as my cohost. It’s just not fair at all.”
Manning then offered some guidance of sorts.
“Coach, I know this show like everything you do is going to be a huge success, but if I can humbly offer you just one piece of advice, it’s this: If you happen to play my Tennessee Volunteers in a bowl game or the playoff this year, skip the game, and focus on the show instead, OK?” Manning said. “Is that cool? Thank you very much. Congratulations again to both of you.”
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com